How do fuel deliveries work to the stations?

[Audios]

Ive been wondering this watching the brand name guys all along Rt 3 getting deliveries from no name tankers, The Sunoco is the only one Ive seen with Sunoco trucks filling it. I was wondering if anyone can shed a light on how the deliveries work, I have a few scenarios that I think might be happening
-Tanker leaves facility hitting every station on the route list that day and adding detergents/chemicals at each stop depending on brand/quality
-Tanker leaves facility with a dosed tank, depending on the level in the fuel, depends if theyre refilling brand name or no name stations today

Which makes me wonder what the difference is exactly in the no name fuel. Some people say less additives, some say it sat for over 30 days, so say no difference.

 

[Leo99]

Friend of mine owned an Exxon station. He told me he had to attend gasoline education classes and was told the Exxon gas has additional additives and that's why it's more expensive than other brands. I purchase gasoline from the local gas station/convenience store, Wawa. I've never seen any advantage to using name-brand fuel.

I'm curious if they add additives at the station level. I'd assume it's only at the facility.

 

[bullwinkle]

I think the additives & detergents are added at the terminal rack, maybe the tanker has different compartments in it depending on what station gets certain additives? I don't think a tanker can add additives, that would require extra compartments & a way to mix them in.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

All three and then some.

 

[bullwinkle]

For example, here in the Cincinnati area the UDF stations use Prescott to do their deliveries, and I've seen Prescott filling up at the local Marathon terminal in Covington, KY (Latonia)-does that mean the NON-Top Tier UDF fuel is the same as the TT Marathon? Only the driver & terminal know for sure...

 

[bullwinkle]

Speedway is the same way, as well-Marathon/Ashland tankers deliver their fuel, but Speedway isn't TT either. I personally run BP & Kroger almost exclusively (better prices due to BP & Kroger Fuel Rewards), but I don't really see much difference between the two. Both seem to be better than Speedway, though.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

IRVING near me is advertising Top Tier now. I tried it and like it, My new Jetta "requires" Premium

Oh, and I noticed along with Sunoco that Irving typically has its own Tankers making deliveries.

 

[csandste]

Think Costco has additives put in at station. Rest at terminal truck. Probably nothing prohibited if non TT stations bought TT lefftovers out of a truck. No guarantees SOME of their gas would meet TT some wouldn't. It wouldn't be real Top Tier unless brand consistency was met and licensing fees paid.

 

[Donald]

If its a brand name gas station the name on the truck is not that important as the additives that were added when the tanker truck was filled. Exxon and the other brand names have a reputation to keep up along with being top tier. While I assume mistakes happen, I think you can assume that 99 % of the time you get the gas as labeled on the pump.

I have seen the diesel pump at an Exxon/Mobil station labeled "not Exxon/Mobil diesel fuel".

 

[mclasser]

There's a single company that delivers to stations around here. I've seen the same tanker leave a BJ's station and head over to Shell. Makes me wonder if Shell actually has the additives it claims to.

 

[newtoncd8]

TiredTrucker (not sure if he is still on the site) said at the fuel terminal.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...-do-fuel-additives-get-added#Post3598539

As does this article, titled "From Pipeline to Pump, How Gasoline gets to your car"
https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2015/01/19/from-pipeline-to-pump-how-gasoline-gets-to-your-car/

 

[Black_Thunder]

Originally Posted by Donald
If its a brand name gas station the name on the truck is not that important as the additives that were added when the tanker truck was filled. Exxon and the other brand names have a reputation to keep up along with being top tier. While I assume mistakes happen, I think you can assume that 99 % of the time you get the gas as labeled on the pump.

I have seen the diesel pump at an Exxon/Mobil station labeled "not Exxon/Mobil diesel fuel".




I've seen similar labels at a Shell Station but only for the 87 non-ethanol gas it was labeled Not Shell fuel

 

[nikorasu]

I fill my truck at one specific terminal but the large regional chain gets base product at all the terminals (Citgo, Flint Hills, US Oil...) and splash blends their etoh at their own terminal. I would assume that their top tier additive is also added at their splash blend terminal as well, on top of the base additive package from the terminal.

The terminal has product for multiple chains. My specific terminal has base fuel, shell additive, marathon additive and so on. Your account will give you access to what product you can buy. I can only get base gas at 87, 89, 91 and 93 octane, along with #1 and #2, clear and dyed with the option of their gold antigel additive. I can of course blend 20/80 or 30/70 as well.

 

[Mainia]

Super America here in Minnesota was bought out by SpeedWay. No 4 cent discount now unless you buy $4 inside the store. A lot of people I know don't go there anymore. Then I see 10 cent discount signs on the pump end cap. Then now I looked, they are not Top Tier. What a BS company STAY AWAY!! SAD how crap companies buy good companies and WRECK THEM FOREVER.

 

[earlyre]

as i've said before, (my personal experience, YMMV, etc, etc.)
in my area, 100% of the gas sold comes from the local refinery (they provide around 25% of the gas sold in OH).
whether it's a shell/ bp/ marathon/whatever branded tanker, they all fill up at the local fuel depot, with the appropriate add packs mixed in at the terminal.

when i've done shifts @ our Meijer gas station, our Hauler is called Atlas oil, they may bring us 2 or more deliveries in a day.( a few times a week), of up to 8,000 gallons each.
luckily we're only about 10 mi from the Depot/terminal.

many days after they finish with us, they have to then get another load, and head to the Findlay store(about 40-45 min up I-75). if they need multiple deliveries in Findlay, it's back down to Lima to fill the tanker, then back to Findlay, etc.
Findlay has E-85, we Don't. If we had E-85, they would have to go to up into MI to get it, as the Lima Terminal Doesn't offer it. (only 2 stations in our county carry E-85, both located right off the interstate - and only one station in the county has E0 gas, and only 91octane- a Casey's a little further down 75. everything else in the area is E10. )

 

[nikorasu]

Originally Posted by Black_Thunder
Originally Posted by Donald
If its a brand name gas station the name on the truck is not that important as the additives that were added when the tanker truck was filled. Exxon and the other brand names have a reputation to keep up along with being top tier. While I assume mistakes happen, I think you can assume that 99 % of the time you get the gas as labeled on the pump.

I have seen the diesel pump at an Exxon/Mobil station labeled "not Exxon/Mobil diesel fuel".




I've seen similar labels at a Shell Station but only for the 87 non-ethanol gas it was labeled Not Shell fuel


Non ethanol 87 would be a 50/50 blend of the base 83 octane and 91 octane. When I get 87 it's ether 500 gallons of no lead and 500 gallons of premium or 100 gallons of ethanol and 900 gallons of no lead. Assuming I am getting 91 octane for the premium that means the base no lead is 83, and 10 ethanol brings it up to 86.5 assuming that ethanol is 116 octane. I am just guessing as the terminal does not specify what the product being flowed it, just what the final product is that ends up in the truck, as that is what you are ordering.

I'm guessing Shell branded fuel is all 10% ethanol. That is why they are at 93 octane instead of 91 octane for their premium.

 

[meadows]

Coctco adds their own additives to the gasoline as they found that some deliveries were not top tier as ordered.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Mainia
Super America here in Minnesota was bought out by SpeedWay. No 4 cent discount now unless you buy $4 inside the store. A lot of people I know don't go there anymore. Then I see 10 cent discount signs on the pump end cap. Then now I looked, they are not Top Tier. What a BS company STAY AWAY!! SAD how crap companies buy good companies and WRECK THEM FOREVER.
Super America has been owned by Speedway since the Marathon Ashland station buyout of approx. 15 years ago, they were forced to continue using the Super America name in MN due to some kind of copyright issue. Speedway is actually owned by Marathon Oil, but they're definitely not TT. They were a major customer of my employer until 3 years ago, but all the company vehicle fuel issues I've had have been with Speedway fuel, not to mention the stories I've heard about excessive amounts of ethanol in their E10 in the past. We don't call them GREEDWAY for nothing!

 

[GMguy84]

Down here in OKC area, Cheapest crap quality gas is from tankers that have "Star Fuels" on them


Years ago, My buddy worked at a Shell station and all the fuel drivers told us they would NEVER use any fuel from star fuels


So around here Walmart green colored gas stations (Non Murphy USA), 7-11 and Circle k's are no no's for me and my fleet

Luckily there's a Conoco a few miles from me that has CHEAP QUALITY fuel in town

Dave

 

[Mainia]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Originally Posted by Mainia
Super America here in Minnesota was bought out by SpeedWay. No 4 cent discount now unless you buy $4 inside the store. A lot of people I know don't go there anymore. Then I see 10 cent discount signs on the pump end cap. Then now I looked, they are not Top Tier. What a BS company STAY AWAY!! SAD how crap companies buy good companies and WRECK THEM FOREVER.
Super America has been owned by Speedway since the Marathon Ashland station buyout of approx. 15 years ago, they were forced to continue using the Super America name in MN due to some kind of copyright issue. Speedway is actually owned by Marathon Oil, but they're definitely not TT. They were a major customer of my employer until 3 years ago, but all the company vehicle fuel issues I've had have been with Speedway fuel, not to mention the stories I've heard about excessive amounts of ethanol in their E10 in the past. We don't call them GREEDWAY for nothing!


Why the crap turn around to a crap company customer facing AND employee facing, my daughter knows a girl who just quit because she said they suck as an employer now. Must be the "slum" company of marathon oil?